Weight actuated mechanism



1954 P. G. CRISAFULLI WEIGHT ACTUATED MECHANISM Filed April 12, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 eter G Crlsafullw. (Inventor z Clbbcrrzg Jan. 26, 1954 P. G. CRISAFULLI 2,667,254

WEIGHT ACTUATED MECHANISM Filed April -12, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Peter- G- crisafullt srzvarzbor Othernes- Jan. 26, 1954 P. G. CRISAFULLI WEIGHT ACTUATED MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 12, 1949 Nimy @07 w: 6 mT peter G. CrLsqfaZZL {Inventor Qbborneg P, G. CRISAFULLI WEIGHT ACTUATED MECHANISM Jan. 26, 1954 Filed April 12, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Lgmllllll "'HIHI W 2 L Ln Q &: 5? 1. 5

Peter G.Cr1.'sc1fuZZL' Sum/ember 1954 P. G. CRISAFULLI 2,667,254

WEIGHT ACTUATED MECHANISM Filed April 12, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 peter G Crn'saful zj {inventor Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE WEIGHT .ACTUATED MECHANISM Peter G. Crisafulli, Newark, NJ.

Application April 1-2, 1949, S-erialNo.'87;019

5 Claims.

This invention deals with a weight actuated mechanism and with machines incorporatin such mechanism. ihe present application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 25,375, filed on May 6, 19%, by Peter G. Crisafulli, now Patent No. 2,620,914, December 9, 1952, and discloses and claims various improvements, such as a new sliding gate, new means for discharging weights thereby, new structural features in the lever arm, and other novel improvements which will be described herein.

In the earlier filed application, a device was disclosed incorporating a series of superimposed lever arms mounted vertically in a channel member, and a gate was provided to slide in front of said channel and in vertical relation thereto. In this latter assembly, the gate movement upwardly discharged the weights into the gate through slots in the back of said gate, whereas ate movement in a downward direction caused the gate to separate from the channel (by means of inclined planes provided on the front side edges of the channel), so that the weights held by the lever arms discharged through the space between the gate and the arms, created by the separation of the gate.

It has been found that this separation movement of the gate possessed certain disadvantages. For example, in small dispensing machines which could be misused by sharp blows or lateral ,movements, some displacement of the gate could be eifected so as to cause some coins to be returned to the customer while the material purchased was being dispensed. However, many of the features of the present invention involve elements of greater simplicity in design and construction and greater durability in comparison with the devices described in the earlier filed application.

In the present invention, the gate moves only in a vertical direction and does not separate from the channel member, and the discharge of the weights takes place through the slots in the back of the channel wall, the disposition of the discharged weights being determined by the positioning of the weight deflecting baiile at the bottom of the back of the gate, depending on whether the gate is raised or lowered.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the drawings in which Figure 1 represents a front view of the improved lever arm, while Figure 2 shows a side view thereof. A front view of the gate is shown in Figure 3, the side View thereof in Figure 4 and the back view in Figure 5. A side view of .an assembled actuating unit, for installation in a dispensing machina'is illustrated in Figure 6, while Figureii shows a front View of the same unit. A cutaway side view of the upper portion of the unit disclosed in Figures .6 and 8 is illustrated in Figure 7. Schematic side views of the unit in Figs. 6 and 8, showing the gate in idle, coin collecting, and coin return positions, respectively, are depictedin Figs. 9, 1'6 and 11, while Fig. 12 is .a circuit diagram of the respective contacts and switch shown on the unit in Fig. 6. Similar numbers refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawings, numeral I represents :a lever :arm having .a pronged upper portion consisting of two prongs lit, the upper edges 7 of which are bevelled on the backs thereof, while the edge '9 between the two prongs is bevelled on the front (for facilitating travel of weights thereover). The lower section of lever arm I consists :of centrally disposed arm section 3 of :a width about the same as that of the space between prongs 99, said section 3 "being bent forwardly about 5", more or less, with respect to prongs 9d. Attached to the lower portion of section 3 is centrally disposed arm 4 which is also bent forwardly about 15, more or less, with respect to section 3.

It has been found that the new structure of the lower portion of the arm 1 results in better retention of weights under conditions of severe misuse than the design shown in the earlier filedv application. As in the case of the earlier application, wire member l9, employed for actuating the electrical contacts 55, etc. or other external apparatus, is attached to lugs 8 projecting forwardly from the sides of the middle section 2 of the lever arm. Hole l3 in one of the lugs 8 allows holding of the free end of wire it which is then bent in the form of a U passing behind the lever arm at .a point preferably between sections '3 and 4, with the other end of the U passing through hole It in another lug. The wire is then bent upwardly and horizontally to form actuating arm It for exerting pressure on switch contact or other extraneous actuating device, when lever arm i (or its equivalent arm 56) is loaded. Wire arm It is preferably coated with insulating sleeve 12.

As in the case of the earlier filed application,

gate (which slides vertically in channel :33

and has .top :23 and bottom 2%) is mounted in the open portion of channel '53. Front face ll of gate I5 is provided with a long, vertical, centrally disposed slot .iG, narrower than the weights 102, etc. used for actuation of the lever arms, and is V employed for observation within said gate and channel. The back Wall of gate I5 (Fig. 5) is provided with a series of narrow lips 28, 29, 30, 3 i, 32, 33 and 3 5 projecting inwardly from side 25, and another series of narrow lips projecting from the other side and oppositely disposed, with an opening I88 between the two series of lips, said opening being narrower than the width of the Weights H32, etc. employed for actuating lever arms I. Between the lips, in the vertical direction, are cut-out portions II2, 36, 31, 38, 39 and 50 through which the weights pass when gate i5 is raised or lowered. At the bottom back portion of the front face I! is bafile 42 for deflecting Weights I82, etc. which fall into gate I5.

Front face ll of gate I5 is also provided with side extensions I8, I5 and 22 which act as limiting means for holding gate I5 a fixed distance within channel 45, and also act as hearing surfaces sliding on side edges 45 and 46 of channel 43 (Fig. 6) as gate I5 is moved up or down. Screw 93, which is inserted through holes in the edges of the sides of channel 43 and disposed immediately in front of face H of gate I5, serves to keep gate I5 tightly against channel 33. Stops 45 on the sides of channel 43 serve to limit the travel of bearing surfaces I3, I9 and 22 and consequently limit the vertical travel of gate I5.

As shown in Fig. 12, which depicts the circuit diagram for the lever arm contacts and switch of the unit illustrated in Figs. 6 and 8, when nickels are employed in the machine, the first coin entering chute 63 causes lever arm 86 to raise contact 55 against contact 89. The second nickel raises the contact based. at 59 against the lower contact on 55. The third nickel raises the contact based at 5| against the lower contact based on 50, while the fourth nickel raises contact 61 against the lower contact based on 5|. For a 25 purchase, contact 6? is not required for operating the electrical circuit, and the lever arm therefore merely holds the fourth nickel to make possible the reception of the fifth nickel on the lever arm below which completes the electrical circuit. The last nickel closes the two contacts based on 53, whereupon the circuit is complete through dispensing switch 89, the current flowing from switch 89, line 59, through the contacts based on 53, through line 58, contacts based on 5I and 59, thence through contacts 55, 49 and back to switch 89. When two dimes and a nickel are employed, the first dime entering chute 65 raises the lowest contact member based on 53 against the upper contact member. The second dime raises the contact based on 54 against the lower contact on the lower member based on 53. The nickel entering chute 63 raises contact 55 against 59, thus completing the circuit, causing the current to fiow from switch 89 through line 59, then through the lower contact on base 58, then through the contact on base 54, line 56, contacts 55 and 49 and back to switch 89. When one dime and three nickels are employed, the dime closes the two contacts mounted on base 53. The first nickel closes contacts 99 and 55, the second raises the contact on base 50 against contact 55, while the third nickel closes the contacts on bases 5I and 55, thus completing the circuit. Current then flOWs through switch 89, line 59, contacts on base 53, line 58, contacts on bases 5I and 59, contacts 55, 49 and back to switch 89. I

Naturally, when the required circuit is completed via the lever-actuated contacts, for dispensing the goods purchased, solenoid 16, which is con nected in series in the circuit, will be actuated when switch 89 is thrown in dispensing position.

As is customary in the dispensing field, the coin return circuit for actuating solenoid I5 is a separate circuit and solenoid E5 can be energized at any time by throwing switch 89 to coin return position.

The unit depicted in Figures 6, 8, 9, l0 and 11 is designed for actuation by two types of .weights or coins. Chute 63 is designed to be employed for nickels (in this particular case) and the coins dropped therein can actuate lever arms 86, 87, 88, 9|, 9-2, and H3, although, for a 25 purchase, not more than five of the upper lever arms need be actuated by nickels, While chute 65 is designed to be employed for dimes, and the coins dropped therein may actuate the last two (bottom) lever arms 92 and H3, these coins entering channel 49 through opening 99.

When this unit is set for a purchase price of 25, it will operate on five nickels or a combination of nickels and dimes, and chute 68 will accommodate five nickels when dimes are not inserted in chute 64. An additional nickel will actuate arm H3, but will be in excess of payment needed to dispense the article purchased.

gate, for example, or any number of lever arms and chutes, as desired and as discussed in moredetail in the earlier filed application.

The operation of the unit may be more readily understood by reference to the diagrammatic side views shown in Figures 9-11. Figure 9 illustrates the machine with all lever arms, except the first one in the idle or unactuated positions. It will be observed that when lever arms 86, 81, etc. rest in the idle position, their top portions fall back, due to top-heaviness obtained by balancing at fulcrums I3, and thus, when in idle position, the upper prongs 99 rest against the back wall of the channel 43 with bevelled edge "I flush against the surface of the back wall. It will also be observed that when the machine is in idle condition with no coins inserted, the bottom sections 4 of the lever arms project through opening I05 (Fig. 5) in theback of gate I5 and approximately half way between slots H2 and ,36, 3B and 37, etc., so that lips 29, 35, 3!, etc.

are in position to retain the coins as in the case of coin I92 in Figure 9. As coin H32 slides over lever arm'86, the weight of the coin causes prongs 99 (Fig. 2) to tilt forwardly with bevelled ends I of the prongs resting in a vertical position and, in the case of lever arm 88, the prongs would be flush with the vertical bottom portion of chute 63. In the case of the lower coin actuated lever arms, their upper prongs would be flush against the backs of the immediately higher lever arms.

When lever arm 89 is tilted by coin 82, a passageway is created in the channel behind lever arm 86, allowing another coin, such as 93, fed into chute 63, to fall clear of lever arm 86 and onto the upper prongs of the next lower lever arm 81, which is then tilted in a similar manner, until all of the lever arms are filled with coins. Any additional coins fed into the chutes after this takes place drop all the way down channel 43 and are deflected by baffle Ill] punched out of the back of channel 43, thence to chut I63 and into coin return hopper 6 I. s

As the lever arms are tilted by the coins, wire arms I4 are forced upwardly against lower elec--- trical contacts '55, '61., etc. (Figure '6), which then make contact with upper contacts 49, etc., and when the predetermined or required number of coins are present, all contacts and switches necessary for completing the various circuits (shown in the diagram in Figure 12) are closed and bulb 12 becomes lighted which provides a colored signal "I3 notifying the customer that the machine is dispensing the article purchased. (Such light, of course, need not be mounted in the vending machine.) When switch 89 is actuated to dispensing, =position,'

gate i5 is caused to be lowered as in Fig. (in a manner to be explained later), thereby bringing into juxtaposition with coins 102, .etc. slots H2, 38, etc. which causes coins I 02, etc. to fall within gate I5 and down against bailie 4.2 on "the back of the front face I! of the gate, which baffle deflects the coins into collecting bin '62-. Opening of switch 89 will cause gate .15 to return to idle position because of the action :of spring 82, as will be outlined later.

If, for some reason (such as .an :empty .dispensing machine, changing of mind by the ens-- tomer, etc.) it is desired to have the coins on the l ver arms returned to the customer, switch :89 is flipped to coin-return position and this actuates solenoid I5 (Fig. 6) which raises gate I5 as in Fig. 11 (in a manner to be outlined later). This action brings slots 3-3, 37, etc. in juxtaposition with coins I82, etc. which causes the coins to drop through the slots in the back .of gate 35 and onto baflie 42, but due to the fact that baffle 2 has been raised above the level of baffle M2, the coins drop on :bafile Ill], and thence to chute 583 and into coin return hopper BI.

Now, as to the manner of moving gate I5 vertically, Figure '7 may be employed for reference. It will be observed from Figures 3 and 8 that the upper portion of front face I! of gate I5 has soldered, welded, or otherwise attached to it arm 26 having end 2| projecting from the side. This projecting end 2| is disposed within slot I04 of end l! of actuating lever arm I8 which is pivoted on the side of chute 65 at screw or rivet 80. Free end T1 of arm I8 is flattened to provide better contact with solenoid I5, etc. during actuation of the latter. About half way between pivot 89 and slot I04 is grooved pin 19 attached to arm '18 and projecting from the side thereof. Above arm 78 is mounted pin 85 on the side of channel 43. Spring 8| is then mounted in such a manner that one end 84 is anchored against pivot 80. Its mid-section is then wound a few times around pin 85, while the other end is bent in the form of a V with the apex fitting around pin 79 when arm 18 is holding gate I5 in idle position. Actuation of solenoid by switch 89 causes end ll of arm I8 to be attracted downwardly which causes end 41 of arm 18 to be raised, which operation also raises gate I5 (via projecting arm 2I) to produce the condition shown in Fig. 11. When solenoid I5 is inactivated by switch $9, upper section 82 of the V portion of spring BI impresses a diagonal thrust, in the nature of an inclined plane, forcing gate I5 to return to idle position, and movement past this position is restrained by lower side 83 of the v portion of the spring which imposes a diagonal thrust in the direction opposite to that of side 82.

When the end TI of lever arm 18 is raised by action of solenoid I6 or by other means, gate I5 is lowered by the action of the end 41 of arm 78 and the gate is returned to idle position by action of side 83 of the spring. The other side 82 of the spring then acts to restrain further movement of the gate.

:Solenoid 16 is indicated in Fig. 7 as the motivating agent .for the downward motion of the gate for com collection.

.Plug "II (Fig. 6) is provided to plug in the electric energy .for operating the unit. The switches actuated by levers I4 are indicated by numerals 4.8, .50, 5I, 52, .53 and 55, while numerals 55,, 53,, 59, etc. show the necessary wiring required for completing the circuits discussed. Line 59,, shown in Figure '6 and originating from switch 53, extends behind plug II to solenoid 1 6 (not shown). A baffle (it is provided above chute I 63 to avoid ejection of coins beyond hopper 6i. Numeral PM is employed to designate means for fastening the unit to stand 68 supported on base 69.

As in the earlier copending application, lever arm I is preferably topheavy since its center of gravity is somewhat above the pivoted portion, enough to cause the upper prongs 9?: to fall back against the back wall of channel 43 when the lever arm is in idle position. Of course, it is possible to balance the arm at its center of gravity or else mount it so that its center of gravity is below the pivoted portion, provided some thrust means is employed to return the upper pronged portion of the lever arm back against the channel when the lever arm is in idle position. Such thrust means may be a light spring imposing tension on the lower portion of the lever arm, or aspring might be mounted to impose tension on wire arm I4 so as to return prongs 99 to the back of channel 6.3, and wire II may be welded or soldered to the back of lever arm I, if desired. Such thrust means would be considered as equivalents to the gravity thrust means herein employed and found to be the simplest and least expensive.

The unit illustrated in Figures 6 and 8 is designed for demonstration purposes and is not necessarily to be used, with all of the appurtenances shown, in commercial vending machines, as would be obvious to one skilled in the art.

Although the upper section of lever arm I is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as bifurcated, it is possible to employ a solid arm or one perforated or having more than two prongs. The bifurcated type is employed mainly for its weight saving features. The lever arms also may be mounted at any other portions than the sides, provided that the axis of mounting is parallel, substantially, to the plane of the channel back.

Baffle 42 on the back of front face I! of gate I5 may be welded thereon or it may be made by pressing in the sides of the gate, or by welding projections in the sides of the gate adjacent the back of face I1, and these alternatives may be considered as equivalents of baffle 42 as shown.

Also, instead of V spring 8!, it is possible to mount tensioned springs one above and one below arm #8, said springs being balanced so that arm 78 rests in the idle position when gate I5 is not actuated.

I claim:

1. In a weight actuated unit for actuating an extraneous device, wherein the weight is fed into the unit edgewise down a chute, into a substantially vertical channel, open at the front, in which at least one vertically disposed fiat lever arm is pivotally mounted to the sides of said channel with the axis of mounting substantially parallel to the plane of the back wall of the channel far enough away from said back wall to allow sufii-i the bottom portion of said lever arm when inidle position, said back wall of said gate also being provided with laterally disposed slots of such dimensions as to allow said weights to pass therethrough into the gate when the gate is moved vertically for a given distance, said slots being disposed above and below the lower edge of the weight when the latter is resting on the lever arm and the gate is in idle position, and said slots being spaced so that the weight passes through one of said slots when the gate is raised vertically, a retaining front face for said gate to act as a guide for said weights, and engaging means on said gate for engaging a motivating unit for effecting vertical movement of said gate, the improvement comprising an angularly disposed first baffie within the bottom section of the channel below the lever arm and serving to draw ofi said weights away from said channel, a downwardly disposed angular deflecting second bafiie disposed at the bottom of the back of the front face of the gate in the proximity of the first baflle and disposed on said face in such manner that said second baffle is at least as high as the nearest edge of the first baffle when said gate is in idle and raised positions, and said second baffle is lower than the nearest edge of said first baffle when said V 81 gate is in lowered position, and the slots in the back of the gate are so spaced as to allow discharge of the weights therethrough when the gate is in raised and lowered positions, and retaining means in front of said gate attached to said channel to prevent separation of said gate from said channel.

2. A weight actuated unit according to claim 1 in the channel of which is mounted a series of vertically disposed, overlapping lever arms, and the gate is mounted so as to slide over the side edges of the channel.

3. A weight actuated unit according to claim 2 in which the engaging means on the gate is a rod projecting from the upper side edge thereof, an arm pivotally mounted on said channel having one end engaged to said rod and the other end associated with a vertical motivating agent for lifting and lowering said other end, and spring pulling means mounted above and below said pivotably mounted arm, between the rod and the pivot, for returning said gate in idle position when the vertical motivating force is removed.

4. A Weight actuated unit according to claim 3 in which the spring pulling means is a sidewise disposed V-shaped spring mounted along the side of the channel with its apex in juxtaposition with the arm, fixed mounting means on said channel for fixedly mounting the upper end of the v, and a pin attached to the arm and projecting therefrom inside the apex of the V.

5. A weight actuated unit according to claim 1 in which the lever arm has a centrally disposed bottom portion of decreasing width in the downward direction and said bottom portion is bent forwardly at several sections below the suspension portion of said lever arm.

PETER G. CRISAFULLI.

No references cited. 

